Jeeze Hank you must think the Russians enjoyed a democracy under Stalin.
There are a few things wrong with your pipe dream. Only land owning Mullahs got to vote and they elected who and what was good for them. The first Shaw took power by using his oil money plus some CIA money to buy out enough mullahs to get *democratic* control of the government, which he exercised just like they had - by liquidateing the opposition. Its a time honored Mid-Eastern tradition we had zip to do with.
Under Muslim law you must marry and care for your sister in laws (plural) and their kids if your brother dies. If one is childless it's your duty to knock her up. The women, being chattle, of course have no say in the matter. The Shaw tried to get rid of this law under pressure from Iranian and other women groups but that meant that many widows would have no one forced to support them so they rebelled. That grew until the Shaw, dying of cancer, withdrew. Then, by your lights, people got the freedom they deserved under the ayatollah. Oh yes, they have a democracy to this day. Trouble is the elected leaders are utterly subservient to the religious leaders who are no more elected that a Catholic priest - making the mullahs the real government again.
Try to imagine a USA in which the president, congress and courts all had to obey the Catholic church.
